


You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

by TheGirlWhoWearsBlack



Series: My Christmas Jukebox [6]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/M, Grinch References, Mood Swings, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, Team Feels, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWhoWearsBlack/pseuds/TheGirlWhoWearsBlack
Summary: From gifts to music, to parties and parades; Christmas spirit is present in every single member of the BAU.Except one.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Series: My Christmas Jukebox [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036053
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to day 6 of "My Christmas Jukebox": 12 days, 12 one shots inspired by 12 of my favorite Christmas songs. I'll be posting every other day until completed as we all get in the spirit and mood for this holiday season.
> 
> Today's shot is inspired by the song "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" by Lindsey Stirling ft. Sabrina Carpenter.   
> Enjoy!

“Dr. Reid, here’s your mail.”

“Thanks.” He answered without even looking at what the messenger placed over his desk.

Spencer’s nose was deep inside of a case file and his entire concentration was devoted to it.

“Oh, look at all of these Christmas cards.” YN chanted at the sight of the stack of cards on Spencer’s desk. She grabbed and analyzed them. “I didn’t know you were so popular, Reid. There must be like twenty cards or more in here.”

Spencer did not answer.

“I was going to give you one but it looks like you don’t need any more.”

“Don’t even bother.” He spoke finally, still not looking up from the file.

YN opened her mouth to ask why he meant but was interrupted by Penelope announcing that a new case came in. YN left the stack of cards back over Spencer’s desk and went to her own in order to grab her cup of coffee and meet the rest of the team at the briefing room. By the time she was back at Spencer’s, he was gone, and the stack of cards was in the trash can.

* * *

“Guys, Mrs. Robinson just invited us to the Christmas parade that’s taking place downtown tonight.”

Prentiss let the team know the second she entered the conference room the BAU had set up while working the case in Minnesota. The case had been in a relatively small town where everyone knew each other. The community had been so grateful when the team solved the case, caught the unsub and all the kids that were taken, were returned back to their families safely. Especially since they were weeks away from Christmas.

“That’s really nice of them.” Rossi observed and nodded. “I don’t think one more night in this town will hurt.”

“It won’t. I can make arrangements to leave tomorrow, but only if everyone is up for staying tonight.”

As unit chief, Prentiss could make the team stay if she wanted to, however, as a friend, Emily wanted them to be ok with the idea.

“I’m down, and I know YN is too.” Alvez said with enthusiasm as he threw his arm around YN.

“Yeah, I’m in too, I’m just a little bummed that Garcia is not going to be able to experience this with us.” Lewis grimaced.

“A night with the team in a different city without having to worry about an unsub…sounds beautiful.” JJ added with the same cheer as the rest. “Spence?”

The guy shrugged his shoulders and scrunched his nose.

“I don’t really care, honestly.”

“Are you feeling alright, Spencer?” Prentiss asked with concern. “If you need to go home, we can do that.”

“I’m fine. If you guys want to go to the parade, go. I rather get some sleep at the hotel. But I don’t mind staying here one more night.”

“Alright. We’ll stay, then.” Prentiss concluded though probably not entirely convinced that everything was ok with Spencer. And for the way everyone else was staring at him, she knew that they had the same doubts as her.

* * *

“Hold it please!” YN yelled as she sprinted towards the elevator.

A hand went through the closing metal walls and stopped them giving YN enough time to reach it. When she stepped inside, she saw that the person who helped her was Spencer.

“Good morning, Reid.”

“Morning, YN.”

“How was your weekend?” YN attempted to make conversation to avoid the awkward silence of the six floors ride.

“Great. I caught up with some reading.” He answered and stared at her. She stared back. A few seconds went by before it hit Spencer that he should ask the same to keep the conversation going. “Uh, how about yours?”

“It was really good. I went shopping for some Christmas gifts. You will flip when you see yours.”

“YN you don’t have to give me a gift. I didn’t get you anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. I like giving gifts, it makes me feel like Santa.” She joked with a playful smile in hopes to make him smile, which he didn’t. “I also got supplies for the party I’m hosting next Saturday.”

The elevator doors opened at the second floor letting another agent in. He was wearing headphones and playing music so loud Spencer and YN could hear it. The song playing was no doubt a Christmas song, they were sleigh bells ringing and all. Spencer’s muscles tensed even more than before when he made out the type of music the agent was listening.

YN tried to meet Spencer’s gaze, which appeared to be lost.

“You are coming, right?”

“What?” Spencer snapped out of his thoughts and momentarily glimpsed at YN.

“To my Christmas party next Saturday.”

“I-I don’t think so, YLN.”

“But why? I got the liquor and the crackers from my Día de la Independencia party you said you loved.”

Spencer looked irritated and was irritated. YN couldn’t tell right away if it was because she was pushing him about the party or something else was on his mind.

“I-I-” He stuttered. His face indicated that he was trying to think but simply couldn’t concentrate. “Oh! For fucks sake! Can you please turn your stupid, annoying Christmas music down?!”

Spencer snapped at the third agent in the elevator. The poor guy was so confused, stung and perhaps a little bit scared too. He nodded repeatedly as he turned his volume down. He then exited the elevator at the fourth floor instead of the tenth like he was supposed to do according to the button he pressed when he first got in.

YN was also taken aback by the way Spencer reacted and she would’ve run as well if she didn’t have to see him again. She didn’t say anything. Neither did Spencer. They stood there in silence until the doors opened at the sixth floor and they went on their own.

* * *

“Hey Reid, would you like going with us?” Prentiss asked at the same time she put on her coat and scarf.

“Caroling?”

“It’s not caroling. There’s a Christmas theme at the karaoke bar.” JJ explained.

“Pass.”

“What did I tell you guys?” YN groaned all the way from her desk. She was also getting ready to leave. “Spencer Reid is not a Christmas man. He’s the Grinch.”

“Excuse me?” Spencer frowned and pushed his chair in YN’s direction. “What did you call me?”

“Grinch.”

“A what?”

“Precisely. The Grinch is a _What_ compared to Cindy Lou who is a _Who._ ”

“Am I the only one who isn’t following?” Prentiss mumbled into JJ’s ear who simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Dr. Seuss?” YN elaborated and joined them. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?”

“I’m familiar, YLN.” Spencer affirmed, then stood up to get on YN’s height. “I just don’t understand what makes you think that I am in anyway like the Grinch.”

“Simple. It’s apparent that you don’t like Christmas, even hate it.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, in the four years I’ve been at the BAU; you get moodier when December comes, your desk is the only one with no decorations, you don’t give presents or cards but also refuse to accept them, and before you say anything about capitalism, accepting gifts on Christmas day is more about the people that care about you than the present itself. You dodge every Christmas party or event you’re invited to and avoid our calls and messages on Christmas day. However, this year, you outdid yourself. It has been wild.”

“You sure spend quite some time watching me, YLN.”

“You wish, Reid.”

The tension was so palpable it could’ve been cut with a butter knife. Prentiss and JJ observed them quietly.

“I understand if for some reason you get seasonal blues, but Spencer, we are all here for you. We are your family and we only want to make it better; you just have to let us try. Like the Grinch, your problem isn’t the lack of love, is that you refuse to accept it.”

Spencer tried to keep the straightest face possible as he listened to what his teammate had to say about him. He cleared his throat trying to buy time while the gears of his brain turned faster and faster looking for the perfect answer to YN’s claims. The longer he searched for one the more he realized that she was right, but he did not want to admit it at loud.

“Ladies! Are we going or what?” Penelope yelled at them from the glass doors of the BAU. “Can’t wait for my special spiked Christmas punch while belting to the Christmas queen herself Maria Carey!”

YN still stared into Spencer’s eyes, waiting for an answer that never came.

"That’s what I thought.”

* * *

“Damn, Tara, that’s a nice necklace.” JJ opened her eyes impressed as she grabbed the pendant in Tara’s new necklace. “Early Christmas present?”

“Oh yes.”

“Who’s it from?” Penelope inquired. She finished cleaning her glasses in order to assess the necklace.

“Just from this girl I’ve been going out with.” Tara chanted and then moved her shoulders with happiness. “She’s going out of town during the holidays and wanted to give me something before she left.”

“Well, she has impeccable taste.” YN added, trying to look over Penelope’s shoulders. “Dating you, choosing this piece of jewelry.”

“And it looks expensive as well.” Luke pointed out before scowling. “Must have cost her a fortune.”

“Oh definitely.” Rossi contributed. “That’s 22 karats. The best gold for jewelry.”

“How can you tell?” YN asked him.

“My eyes are trained for the finer things in life.”

Everyone laughed for a couple of seconds until Luke spoke again.

“What’s the most expensive gift you ever received, Rossi?”

“A bottle of ‘Pasion Azteca’ tequila.”

“How much is it?”

It took longer for JJ to ask than for Penelope to type it on her phone and discover the answer.

“3.5 million dollars. Who gave you that?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.” Rossi joked and sat on one of the available chairs. “How about the rest of you?”

“An entire weekend at the Four Seasons’ Capital Suite.” JJ responded with a proud smile on her face. “Two Christmas ago from Will.”

“What about you, Prentiss?”

“I don’t know if I can tell, I mean, I’m kind of your boss now.”

“We’re off work, relax baby.” Penelope pumped her.

Prentiss sighed dramatically. Her cheeks turned slightly pink and for a moment it seemed like she was too embarrassed to say but ultimately grew a pair and spoke:

“A little after college, I got dumped by this douchebag and I was a complete mess, so this friend of mine thought that a sexy toy worth 1.2k was the way to cheer me up.”

“1.2k for a-?” YN asked in shock. Merely externalizing what everyone else was thinking.

“Yep.” Prentiss nodded and then forced another shot on herself. “YN? Your most expensive Christmas gift.”

“That’s easy. When I was in freshman year at college there was a very handsome, filthy rich but stupidly idiotic jerk who for some reason wanted to date me.” YN began to explain, the whole team stared at her expectantly. “I always pushed him away. Anyways, that year’s Christmas morning, he showed up at the cabin I was staying at with some friends to give me a brand-new car as a Christmas gift.”

“No way.” Tara exclaimed. “Did you take it?”

“What do you think? Girl, I was broke as fuck. Of course I took it.” YN went on and chuckled. “I had to date him for three months after just to feel a little better about accepting such a gift.”

As the majority of the team agreed with her and laughed about the situation, a loud snort cut them off. Their heads turned into the sound’s source, being Spencer. He was uncomfortably sitting with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Is there a problem, Reid?” YN turned to face him.

He had not said a word during the whole conversation and now he was huffing and snorting about it.

“No, I just find it amusing how you say Christmas is about love and such but here you are talking about presents above the thousand dollars mark as if it was the whole point of this.” Spencer shrugged his shoulders with amusement. “Pretty hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“Presents aren’t the point of Christmas.” Penelope mumbled.

“I told you that Christmas is about love. About all of us.” YN addressed Spencer with a stern tone.

“Then why bring up the capitalist agenda?”

“Oh my God, Reid! This is only a bar conversation! People talk about stuff, that’s what they do.”

“You’re just in denial. You don’t want to admit that I’m right and that Christmas is pretty much an excuse to buy stuff.”

“Christmas is an excuse to spend time with the people you love and remind them how much you care for them!”

“With parties and endless events that don’t make sense?”

“Opportunities! Those parties and events are opportunities to spend time with each other. Like last Saturday’s party you missed? I got everything you like because I wanted you to be happy, I wanted you to be there!”

Luke, Prentiss, Tara, JJ, Rossi, and Penelope just sat there awkwardly in silence as they heard Spencer and YN argue in front of everyone else at the bar. It also seemed like the music volume was lowered so other people could hear the argument as well.

Spencer found himself speechless at YN’s last statement. He was aware that missing her party was not going to make her happy, but he had no idea that it meant so much for her that he attended.

“Why do you dislike Christmas this much, Reid?” She asked in the form of a whisper. Her eyes were crystalized as it appeared that she was about to cry. “What is making you so unhappy right now? Tell us. We only want to help, to make it better for you. But if we can’t, then please, don’t make us feel bad about enjoying Christmas like you have been doing these past weeks.”

Spencer felt every single one of his muscles tensing. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t say anything else. He grabbed his coat and satchel, then exited the bar, leaving behind the only people who had been there for him all along.

* * *

The knocks on the door were definitely surprising. YN was not expecting any guests so early on Christmas morning. She took a peek at the peephole and immediately her jaw dropped a few centimeters. She unlocked the door and finally opened it.

“Is everything ok, Reid?” YN asked, studying the man in front of her alarmed.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“What are you doing in my apartment on Christmas day?”

Spencer huffed under his breath and then sighed as he calmed himself enough to talk with her and explain what was going on.

“I wanted to talk with you.” He admitted.

“Want to come in?”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“You won’t. Come on.” She stepped to the side letting Spencer in.

He took a few moments to take in everything in YN’s apartment. She had been part of the team for four years yet he had never been inside of her home. He had walked her home or shared a cab after a night out, but never had actually gone inside. It was a blast of holiday cheer. There were lights, glitter, and a particular smell of Christmas. It was everything he would’ve expected from YN except from one little thing. The place was empty. There were no people. No friends, no family, not even pets. YN was alone.

“Are you alright?” YN questioned when the silence prolonged itself enough to make it awkward.

“Yes. It’s just that, I expected-”

“You expected a big party and tons of people?”

Spencer tilted his head several times before nodding and facing her. She hugged herself, not allowing Spencer to actually make out what figurine adorned her sweater, though he could already infer it had to be Christmas themed.

“The team is with their families; JJ with Will and the kids, Rossi with Krystall and Portia, Alvez is out of town, Penelope’s brothers came to visit, Prentiss is at her mom’s…”

“Where’s your family?” Spencer whispered in the form of a question. Not too sure if it was the right thing to do.

He usually read everyone’s file when they joined the BAU, but after meeting YN for the first time, she made him promise he would never do it with hers. Spencer thought it was a good idea since he was experimenting with more conversational and social techniques at the time. Not knowing the basics about her would’ve allowed him to actually talk with her. Therefore, he never learned about YN’s family.

“My parents passed away when I was 18.” She stated without even flinching.

“I’m so sorry, YN…”

“Don’t be. It was a while ago and I, I don’t have any regrets, so it doesn’t haunt me.”

Spencer did not know what to say. He dealt with people losing people all the time, however, for some reason it was harder when it was someone he knew and was close with.

All and all, YN seemed to mean what she said. There was no sign on her face that pointed at consternation or sadness of any sorts. The holiday season was commonly a trigger for those who lost loved ones, nonetheless, for YN it was the opposite.

“I’m fine, Spencer, really.” She assured him with a warm, tender smile. Then walked into the living room and pointed to the couch offering Spencer to sit. He did. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved and talked to you.” He blurted out before he lost his edge. “I’m really sorry for being a Grinch and for trying to make you feel as miserable as I do.”

“You feel miserable?”

Spencer nodded as an answer.

“Why is that?”

“It’s-It’s just been a really tough year and after everything that happened while I was locked up, I just couldn’t bring myself to give in to all of this.” Spencer signaled at YN’s decorations. “It’s like-”

“You don’t deserve to be happy?”

Spencer nodded once more. It was easier to move his head than to actually say the words at loud.

“Because of what you went through, is exactly why you need to enjoy time with your friends, and family. You deserve to be happy, Reid. Don’t let anything make you feel like you don’t. Let us love you.”

“Why do you care so much?”

“You know why.”

He stared into her eyes, wondering if what he had in mind was what she meant. He had been feeling so drowned and dry at the same time it simply made no sense for him to place his time and attention on something as vain as Christmas. But YN was right. Christmas was not about presents, about parties, or about decorations. It was about being with the people you love. And he was loved. By everyone on his team, including her.

“I’m sorry if I pushed you too hard.” YN apologized.

“What? No. Don’t apologize for trying to include me in your Christmas joy.” Spencer answered immediately then sighed. “I’m sorry I missed your party.”

“Yeah, about that…do you have any plans today?”

“No, why?”

“Want to open that liquor bottle and eat some crackers?”

A wide smile formed in Spencer’s lips as a result of YN’s offer.

“Sure.”

Song: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQb0DJZLhRM>

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you think <3
> 
> Remember that I'll be posting new shots every other day.  
> Have an amazing holiday season and please be safe!  
> Love, A.


End file.
